Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997 Video Game) User Reviews

Outstanding

[Ian Livingstone · 10/10 · 20 September 2001]

This is the best Playstation game I have ever played, and by far the best of the Castlevania series.

Great music, spectacular gameplay, a recommendation to anyone.

Also a unforgettable storyline and alot of replayability.

10 out of 10.

Nocturnal Fun

[Gryphon-19 · 10/10 · 4 October 2000]

The Castlevania series is a long and respected one, and this one may be the best out of them all. With the massive choice of weapons and armor, a kickass storyline, very good voice acting, and a moving soundtrack, this game is a must play for Castlevania fans.

The Greatest Video Game Ever Made

[youngjedi · 10/10 · 21 January 2001]

There is are many words to describe this title: classic, masterpiece, flawless. But it is only done justice in the phrase above. Castlevania is everything a great video game should be. It has amazing graphics, incredible sound, an easy to use control system, a multitude of secrets, a highly involving storyline, high replay value, and, most important of all, an addictive quality that keeps you coming back for more.

Many people ignored this title because it was in 2D. While the huge game area would have been amazing to see in 3D, it also might have created camera and control problems that would have only hampered the game play quality. Using a 2D interface makes for a much cleaner and "user-friendly" game, especially at the time when this game was released, a time when 3D gaming was an aspect that had yet to be perfected.

I could go on and on about this game. It was one of the few games I've played that actually lures me back after I've beaten it. While Metal Gear Solid and Goldeneye have done this too, it has only been for a little while, to relive some of my favourite moments. Castlevania, however, still has unexplored elements to it. I have had the game for two years and have yet to see EVERYTHING, to defeat EVERY enemy and obtain EVERY item.

It's a shame this game is a rare find. It is a definite collector's item, and if you see it pick it up. Did I forget to mention that it also merges RPG and action-adventure gaming elements seamlessly, giving fans of both genres something to love? I would like to end my review with a challenge to all video game developers out there: Make a better game than this. Trust me, you'll DIE trying.

Favorite Game of All Time

[jaywolfenstien · 4 July 2003]

Even after six years, I went back and replayed SotN to gladly find not an ounce of its charms has been lost with time. With growing emphasis and interest in RPGs and the entire evolution of the gaming industry as is, I think I've grown to like this simple little game even more.

CastleVania: SotN is not without its faults. I will admit, the plot is a lame excuse to bring back Dracula for yet another round of CastleVania (if you can consider it having a plot at all), and the voice-acted dialogue screams cheesy b-film. In the end, that's made me like SotN all the more now then I did in 1997 when it first debuted. My only -real- complaint against SotN is its difficulty setting – it's too easy to beat.

Symphony of the Night's success comes from the fact that it acknowledges it is a game to be played, not a movie to be watched or a novel to be read. You -play- CastleVania, and all the game elements are as rock-solid as they come. It plays as a fantastic exploration game in the same vein as Super Metroid, which was a step away from previous CastleVania straight-action-side-scroller formula it had used since the original NES game.

Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes, aka Alucard, is the most intriguing CastleVania character the gamer has ever taken control of (and he's way badder than he was in CastleVania3). No more the Belmont Vampire Hunter, now we play as the son of Dracula to take on the father, and as we explore the Demon Castle we really get to tap into Alucard's growing vampiric powers . . . and to this date, I've never seen a game character to top Alucard's ability to become a cloud of mist on command.

Not just one, but two beautifully drawn castles to explore, some of the best boss/enemy designs and a well thought out castle-design. I'd of liked to have seen some instant-death pitfalls/spikes/lava/whatever (and a way of knowing that it is instant death and not another route to explore); most gamers hate 'em, but with SotN's wonderful controls it wouldn't have been much of a problem avoiding them unless you just get careless. Towards the end of the game, Alucard's abilities would make falling into them virtually impossible.

CastleVania also sports my favorite video-game artwork and musical score by the talented Ayame Kojima and Michuru Yamane respectively. Though the premise of the exploration and level ups are borrowed from other games, SotN stands out as its own. By the music, artwork, setting, characters, and gameplay, it is distinctly CastleVania. Nowhere else have I seen game so distinctly its own.

This Gothic game is a classic!!

[Mosquiton99 · 10/10 · 9 November 2001]

I love this game. It mixes my favorite aspects of side scrolling games like mega man with a great RPG system. Making the game a classic. The diologue and story are excellent. The graphics are great. It's just a cool game. It's a must have for sega saturn or sony playstation owners. If you like side scrollng games, rpg's, or vampire games etc. etc. GET THIS GAME!!

The best Castlevania game EVER.

[Ghost the Lost Soul · 10/10 · 27 July 2002]

WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS HEREIN!

>>Pros: Unbelievably beautiful 2D graphics; great sound and gameplay

>>Cons: Corny voice acting; Richter Belmont(available via code) is extremely weak compared to Alucard

>>Plot summary: 5 years after the disappearence of Richter Belmont in Dracula's castle, the Count's half-fuman, half-vampire son Alucard awakes from his eternal slumber to stop his evil father from once again bringing demonic evil to the Earth.

>>Review: This is the first Castlevania game that I played and truly enjoyed. I wasn't really that good with the past Castlevania games; in fact, most of the time, I could only get far into the game by using Game Genies. However, with Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, I beat the game almost completely with only minimal help from mini-straegy guides in video game magazines. This game is so fun to play! You start out powered up to the max with your most powerful weapons, and then Death steals them from you! From then on, you have to search the entire castle getting your weapons back and gaining new powers while taking down Dracula's demonic minions. As far as 2D goes, Konami has never done so much better. The detail that went into making the graphics really stands out! As for the sound, Konami pumps out some of the best orchestral, rock, and jazz music that I've ever heard. What really sets Symphony of the Night apart from the past Castlevania games is that this is the first time that the hero is not a Belmont but Dracula's son(who made his first appearance in Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse on the NES in 1990) who uses swords as opposed to the Belmont family's "Vampire killer" whip. As for flaws, the voice acting could have been a whole lot better. It's really not that big of a deal since you don't hear it that much(and I've heard far worse), but Konami could have improved on it. Also, there is a code that lets you play as Richter Belmont(like you do in the game's introduction), but Richter only lives on that energy bar and not HP like Alucard does, and he doesn't even come close to being as powerful as Alucard can get. Playing as Richter is for Castlevania fans who are really looking for a challenge. In short, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a great PlayStation title that no gamer should be without.

>>My rating: 10 out 10

>>My last 2 cents: If there's anyone here that's trying to find a copy of this game, I wish you luck, because they're out of print at most video game retailers. If you are lucky enough to get a copy, then I wish you the best at getting through it.

Alucard returns to his homeland in his quest to stop Dracula's resurrection.

[Aaron1375 · 9/10 · 30 July 2012]

This was a very fun Castlevania game, in the spirit of those on the NES, Sega Genesis and SNES, but with a bit more game play depth to it. Basically it looks like the Castlevania games on the SNES with the graphics on the characters improved a bit and the background more so. The music is also improved in this one as there are some really stand out pieces in sections of the game. It is a challenge too, but not overly so. Basically, there are no parts of the game where you are watching in stunned belief at all the enemies and such thinking the game is impossible, like in the older games. Even if the odds look insurmountable, you can find a way around it. The game is not perfect though as there are some things that could have been done to make the game even more enjoyable.

The story starts out with Richter Belmont about to face off against Dracula. This is basically a recap battle showing the final battle from the game Castlevania X or something to that effect for the SNES or the other game that it was based off of for a computer gaming system only sold in Japan. Suffice to say, I want to play that game, but it is rare and expensive. After the battle is won, you see Alucard (Dracula's son) storming the castle. He seems unbeatable, until the Grim Reaper takes away all his powerful equipment. Now Alucard must navigate his way through the castle fighting monsters of all kinds so that he can gain abilities and equipment that will help him win the day. From time to time you cross paths with a woman named Maria who is looking for Richter...who has disappeared. Alucard sees him at one point, but it seems he is the lord of the castle now! The fighting is different than previous Castlevania games in that you use a sword and can also use a shield. Though no matter how powerful a shield I got, it never seemed to deflect anything. You could also use potions, buy armor and things that one is more accustomed to seeing in a role playing game. You also have the ability later to change into different things such as a wolf, a bat and mist. You can change into mist and basically bypass any really difficult areas later in the game. So there are many different aspects to the game, but it still feels like you are playing Castlevania. I can see where the Metroid references come from, but how many Metroid games actually followed this format? I believe only Super Metroid followed it to a tee.

I enjoyed this game, but there are some improvements that could of been made. First, is the fact there is spoken dialog in this game. I am not going to complain about how bad it is (though it is not top notched), I am simply going to say it needed more. Basically, they did not really keep the story advancing and at times it was simply Alucard moving from room to room and then coming across a boss out of the blue. There needed more interaction between Alucard and other characters to keep the player up to date on the story. The game also has a cheap ending that one can easily get by accident if one is not entirely sure what to do. Basically, the game can end without a final showdown with Dracula. And as good as the music is, the song they play during the credits sounds like it came from a romantic drama.

Overall, this game was a fun game to play. It had more to it than your standard Castlevania, while not overstaying its welcome like so many games of today do. The music is good (I especially enjoy the piece right at the beginning as Alucard dominates early on) and the game play is simple to pick up. This one is as good as my other favorite Super Castlevania IV, and could of been even better had it made a few tweaks.

Best Castlevnia Game ever!

[The_Depressed_Star_Wars_fan · 10/10 · 4 February 2010]

"Holy hot damn, this is F**king Good!" -James Rolfe.

And so it is James. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is one of the best games ever made. The graphics and sound are f**king great. But the only problem: however, is that the voice acting really sucks. It dosen't matter though because this is such a fun game. The best part is the fact that your playing as a character that has all kind of cool powers, like the ability to turn into a wolf, mist, and a bat. Who is that character you may ask? Non other than Alucard, the son of Count Dracula himself. Dracula's final form in this game might just be the coolest Dracula form ever in a good Castlevania game. Manly because it looks kinda like an H.R. Giger drawing. Over all this is one hell of a great game and I highly recommend you play it.

If i can describe this game in one word...

[The_Light_Triton · 10/10 · 17 May 2012]

Satisfying.

Growing up as a youth I wasn't much of a Castlevania fan but after downloading Castlevania: Sotn on X.B.L.A (Xbox Live Arcade) out of curiosity, I want to dress up as Alucard next Halloween.

The game begins in 1792, Except you play as Richter Belmont first. It comes off the end of Castlevania; Rondo of Blood (which was misinterpreted as Castlevania: Bloodlines) where Richter Slays Count Vlad Tepes Dracula. 5 years pass. Dracula's Son, Alucard (which if you haven't guessed, is Dracula's Name reversed) Enters his fathers castle with the initial plan of Destroying it, but what follows is an in-depth story, accompanied by Challenging gameplay, that most Castlevania fans like to play again and again.

This game has a lot of good things going for it, like it's gameplay, which is very addicting. I think this is the most rewarding game i've ever played. You are hungry for everything you can get your hands on, cutscenes, weapons, items, XP and map coverage. But the biggest thing is the music. the Legendary Michiru Yamane Composed the tunes that go through your eardrums, and each tune is worth listening to 1000 times over.

In our modern times, Vampires have become the subject of romance and youth drama in stories like twilight. Sadly it's soiled the blood-thirsty image of vampires. With heroes like Alucard, it's great we have a hero to root for.

Folks, go buy this title for the PS1 on Ebay or amazon, or download it through the PSN store or XBLA.

I'm playing Symphony of the Night as I type

[shadowrunxx · 10/10 · 2 November 2007]

Castlevania Symphony of the Night is a 2D sidescroller developed and published by Konami in 1997. Its Japanese title is Akumajou Dracula X -Gekka no Yasokyoku meaning ("Demon Castle Dracula X-Nocturne in the Moonlight"). It's the 13th game of the Castlevania series and the first time on the PlayStation.It is a direct sequel to the Japan-only release Akumajou Dracula X Chi no Rondo for the Turbografx Turbo duo/Pc-Engine Super-CD(although I recall Konami releasing it here through special order).

Symphony of the Night is and will always be the best of the Castlevania series. It steered the series away from the standard level-by-level platforming formula of older titles and introduced the Super Metroid(SNES)style of open-ended game play mixed with RPG-like elements. Koji Igarashi was on the money when he put together this instant classic.

In 1998 Symphony of the Night was ported to the Sega Saturn with some extra features. This port was never released outside Japan.I own SOTN on the Saturn it is an awful port but I still love it.There are 2 areas of the castle (Cursed Prison and Underground Garden) which were not in the PS1 version. The Underground Garden area features a new boss, the Skeleton King and the Cursed Prison which holds a new Dagger.Maria is a boss/selectable character in this version.Richter got a new outfit and Running shoes are now available which helps out(there is a lot of slowdown).

The Sega 32X (known as the Sega Genesis 32X in the U.S., the Sega Super 32X in Japan, and the Sega Mega 32X in Europe and other PAL countries), in theory, contributed very little to the world of Castlevania. If you're reading this, I'd bet, you've probably never even heard of Castlevania The Bloodletting.The 32X was significant in this respect because Bloodletting's never having appeared in its library of games is perhaps one of the best things to ever happen to the series as a whole. To put it simply by appearing on the system, it would have gone down in flames with the 32X and would have thus become another in a long line of lost titles. This is something Konami couldn't possibly afford after the series' virtual disappearance between the time of Super Castlevania 4 and Bloodlines.

The sprites from the 32X verison were intragrated into the SOTN.The unused hero became Richter,Richter became the undead Trevor(Castlevania 3 NES)and Maria became Alucard(creepy huh).

On October 23 2007 the PSP got a remix of Rondo of blood(Dracula X)and a port of PSX Castlevania Symphony of the Night (with Maria/Maria boss battle).This is proof that SOTN still holds up through the ages.Play on!

awesome, unexpectedly weapons, characters and some plots!!!

[greenarcher_28 · 9/10 · 18 May 2007]

SPOILER WARNING!!! This may hint some clues!! A far cry from all other strategy is to use one of your henchmen as a guide, and it has been developed here!! I hope they would made in the ps2, a remake of this brilliantly developed game! It rocks!! Adding more spice is the awesome artwork that they exhibited, even with the weapons and all the armors. There is one cloak that changes the window skin setting (obviously you know what I mean). But how i wish that the bosses are in a more difficult setting. Because of this, it makes it a lot easier, not to mention in the setting of Richter as your character. And overall, it's a must for all of those RPG lovers. So grab a copy and you won't regret it! I hope it's still available at this time! I'm sure it's a hit for you and whoever player who wants to play it!

SOTN (And Alu's secret message)

[Kingdomheartsluver13 · 10/10 · 13 October 2014]

Loved the game. I used to have it when I was VERY young and the game first came out. Ah, but despite the fact that I would play it just to beat it 100%...I actually used to enjoy the secret message. The fact of the matter is that Alucard's statement: As you can see, this is a play-station black disk. Track number 1 contains computer data, so don't play it. But you probably won't listen to me anyways...

I think the funniest thing about that is the fact that the Castlevania writers figured that someone like me would play track 1 anyways...

But off topic, moreover the game-play (particularly with the battle with Drac himself) was entertaining. I find the older games like this one to have more of a kick to it than today's crappy vampire games and media. Castlevania holds the greatest vampires in history, and there's no doubt that it's withstood the test of time. Clear back since the 1970's (when my own father used to play the games) it has been a sensation. I would say that I spent an entire summer (this year) playing through all the games, even through the new ones (LOS) and enjoy the series in whatever universe they come up with.

Very nice.

[dieusani · 7/10 · 17 March 2002]

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is an effective mix of the classic Castlevania series gameplay and RPG elements, such as experience levels and variable equipment. It features a well-written story, the tale of Alucard, Dracula's son, and his attempt to stop his father's evil deeds. I know there's a lot of people out there that think that video games can't have good plots or affect people emotionally--they're just games, right? Hey, guess what, we've moved beyond Pong now. ^_^ Symphony of the Night is just one of many games with an excellent story (Ogre Battle 64, Final Fantasy IV and VI, Secret of Mana, Silent Hill, Golden Sun, Lufia I and II, and the Breath of Fire series come to mind in particular...), and that only adds to the gameplay experience. It is not, of course, without its problems...for instance, the horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible voice-acting. Did they just do it in five minutes, the day before the game's release, or what? Alucard sounds good. Everyone else is really, really bad, to the point that I would mute the TV when voice acting came up. In a game this excellent otherwise, that particular flaw really stands out. Still, other than the voice acting, Symphony of the Night is a thoroughly excellent game.

The first Mature Rated Castlevania game with bloodbath decapitation scenes.

[crosswalkx · 3/10 · 7 May 2019]

I've been a Castlevania fan I've played the NES games of Castlevania 1, 2, 3 and I've even played Super Castlevania 4 and Castlevania Dracula X and Rondo of Blood. Yes there was a small amount of blood and violence but not compared to Symphony of the Night.

I know it was a horror themed video game but this Playstation 1 game has alot of bloody violence like Mortal Kombat or Gabriel Knights, or Space Quest games. But this is very shocking to me that this game got a T rating while Metal Gear Solid got an M rating but has no blood, seriously ESRB rating company you have screwed up your rating for this game.

While this game is regarded as the greatest classics, I couldn't finish this game since it was so graphically violent and offensive even more than profanity, also another game Oddworld Abe's odyssey also was rated T and yet it was also graphically violent which should've been rated M.

Yes while it is in 2D and the gameplay is an excellent platform game and plays like Metroid with level grinding, the music was also very beautiful, and there's an ending theme song by the Jazz composer Jeff Lorber which I enjoyed. Unfortunately, the bloody decapitation of zombies and blood gushings made me very sick to watch and I turned off the game and got rid of it from my Playstation 3 download since my family doesn't allow M rated video games.

Be warned to parents and sensitive people, this game is very much like Mortal Kombat or Conkers Bad Fur Day, or Grand Theft Auto, you'll run into bloodbath deaths as Alucard kills monsters with his sword. Meantime I'll play a less violent Castlevania game that isn't M rated probably a Nintendo version. I'm so disappointed with Konami choosing to make this Playstation game a very violent video game.

Castlevania-Better Then Ever...

[The Josh Man · 3 September 2001]

Sure it's sort of an old game But hey its most likely the fan favorite of all CASTLEVANIA games. This game is so much different from all the other CV games such as Game play, Graphics, And Most of all Sound Voice And Score(music). These features make this game so great as it should be. Sure the Voice Acting can get cheesy at some points in the game but the INCREDIBLE game play makes up for all the flaws. The controls are outstanding and you can actually jump across a pit in this one as opposed to all the other NES CV GAMES! (a little inside joke to all CV players) But anyway this is probably the best CV game that KONAMI has released in a long time. So go buy this title or rent it today you wont be displeased. I know I wasn't!

One of the best

[techguy521-1 · 10/10 · 22 November 2018]

On PSX and across all systems. Intuitive game play for its time and beyond. Love it, must play.

Castlevania symphony of the night

[charlesrollan · 10/10 · 1 June 2022]

Amazing game alucard should always be the main character of castlevania the game is like mario or something try be more like valkyrie profile and langrisser and star ocean.

Addictive game!

[devil_may_cry_ldk_dante_sparda · 11 May 2003]

It took me 4 days to pass this game because I couldn't put it down. However, I'm still not tempted to say it's the best Castlevania game out there. It's among the best, but not thee best. I would honestly have to give the crown to Castlevania 3: "Dracula's Curse", starring the less known Belmont, Trevor (whom Casper Van Dien can portray in a movie).

This is the Best Game EVER!!!

[castlevaniamaster2002 · 8 August 2003]

[Warning! WARNING! READ BEFOREHAND!This contains a definite spoiler!]

This game, by far, is the best one I have ever played. It has action, adventure and violence which kind of adds a spice to the game. It is challenging, has a vast variety of enemies, and it has help incase you need it. It also has a wide amount of weapons and special gadgets that you can use and the fact that Alucard is half-vampire and it is 2-D really makes it fun. The large ball of bodies is kind of gross though. Rating:10 or A+

A game that proved that 2D games are still the best

[au_law2001 · 19 January 2005]

Well what more can I say? This is perhaps the best Castlvania game in the series. It had the feel and the action of all the classic NES and SNES games. And once again, you play as Alucard from the 3rd NES Castlevania, this time, he is stronger, and cooler, and better compared to the NES game. And next to that, this is a follow-up to the SNES game Dracula X and the PC game that never came to the States. In this one, you first play the last stage and fight Dracula, and after that, you learn that Richter went missing, and the castle has risen again, and Alucard awakens from his eternal slumber to find out what evil awaits in the old castle. In this one you can collect items like the 2nd NES game, and you can use among different weapons, as swords, maces, staves, and you can also use magic at the same time, but you have to master them, and know the combination on the controls. And not to mention, you can still use secondary weapons, as axes, daggers, holy water, cross boomerangs, stopwatches and others. But compared to Richter, Alucard uses the cross and Holy water differently. The game play is a lot like Super Metroid, because instead of passwords, you can save, and perhaps this is the first game of the series to have one, because gone are the days where you can advance to a level through passwords. And personally, I believe this surpasses the 3D ones, I just didn't get people why they demanded 3D ones, I found the 3D one on the PS2 different, and tedious, but I do love the N64 version, because it had the feel, but, others complained. Well, be careful what you wish for. Anywho, this is a must own for fans of the series.

SPOILER: There is a secret in this game, where you can begin with a suit of armor and battle ax in your inventory. I think it is AX ARMOR you have to type as your name. I'm not so sure, it's been awhile, see for your self. >>>>10/10---EXCELLENT! And the ending theme is beautiful! I am the wind, I am the sun, and one day we'll all be one...

My 3rd favorite video game

[LifeVirusZERO · 2 March 2006]

This game is simply one of the best video games in existence. It lets you basically do whatever you want, in an exploration style that is reminiscent of the Metroid games. It still has those classic Castlevania elements, such as various sub-weapons including the axe, holy water, and dagger. Not to mention some really awesome music. Years ago I paid 30 dollars for the soundtrack to this game, and it was well worth it. Several endings are unlockable, which is always a plus. The storyline of the entire Castlevania series is very, very deep; and this particular game is no exception. If you enjoy freedom, awesome music, and RPG elements in a sidescroller, then this game is definitely for you.